Great news for all readers. I have been on summer holiday long enough that I no longer know what day it is. The days are sailing by on a warm, gin-scented, breeze, and I must say this three-week break has done me a world of good. It hasn't done a world of good for my waistline, however, and the days of snacking on Christmas leftovers and sampling craft beers are beginning to show. Yet another reminder that I am no longer young, and the days of abusing my body over Christmas and still performing on the sports field are well and truly over. The most taxing thing I do nowadays is read comics and write my thoughts. It's more stressful than you might think, and in the back of my mind is the thought that my boss will be calling in a few days to remind me to come back to work. These are my final days of a classic summer holiday, and I am going to spend them with Tiger comic dated 31st January 1976.
31st January 1976
Billy's Boots
Billy's form slumped after having his new bike stolen during a game. However, during his next game the local policeman appears with Billy's bike and a half time tells him that they found the kid who stole it.
With this news, Billy is reinvigorated and scores a superb solo goal. He follows this up with an assist for Jimmy and the game is won two-nil.
After the game, Billy is told that the boy who stole his bike is going to court. His name is Mickey Brown and apparently, this is the first thing he has ever stolen.
Billy and Jimmy are practising their passing while at the park, and a kid comes over to ask if he can play with them. They readily agree, and Billy receives a shock when he asks the boy his name- it is Micky Brown, the bicycle thief.
Last week Billy's Gran stole the show in a single panel, and she does that again this week. The image of her serving dinner to Billy and telling him that the bicycle thief deserves all he gets was evocative and could have well been lifted out of my own life. A stern Grandmother with a strong sense of wrong and right was just the right card to be played at this moment and it trumped all that came before and after it.
The rest of the story wasn't as good as this panel, and although I have given the story a strong rating, it didn't grab me in the way the previous issues have. Billy and his bike being stolen was a good concept and well-worked. The thought of a court case on the horizon also arouses my curiosity, and I am intrigued to see how that will work out. Yet, all this in the future, and there was nothing in this particular issue that thrilled me.
I am not so fussed about Micky Brown's look. In the first panel we see him he looks like a young kid - so far so good. However, in the final panel as he joins Billy and Jimmy the perspective is slightly out and he looks like a jumping gnome next to them. It is the only bum note in the artwork that was otherwise singing throughout the story. In fact, this was a superb-looking Billy's Boots, which made the final panel all the more jarring.
Rather interestingly, although Billy played magnificently, scoring a goal and setting up another, not once was credit given to his boots. This was refreshing and lifted the story in my eyes. I shall be curious to see if this is a one-off, or if it will occur again in future.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "You say the police are taking the boy to court? Well, serves him right!"
Splash Gorton hopes that Johnny Cougar's recent defeat to the Masked Maniac has taught him a lesson about fooling around. He tells Cougar that he needs to concentrate more on his wrestling, and Cougar responds that it's not good to be serious all the time.
Cougar and Splash go to see the next two matches in the tournament. The bout between the Footballer and the Pirate shows that the Pirate will be tough to beat when Cougar faces him. The next fight is of more interest to Cougar as it features his next opponent, the Chinaman, against the Masked Maniac.
The Masked Maniac defeats the Chinaman with a knockout, and after the fight taunts Cougar in the crowd. Wheeling a screen on stage, the Maked maniac shows highlights of last week's bout when he beat Cougar. This is all too much for Cougar, and he jumps into the ring, smashing through the screen to attack the Masked Maniac.
Splash jumps in to calm the situation, but as he and Cougar leave the arena he notices Cougar clutching his arm. He has injured himself jumping through the screen and with his next contest tomorrow he doesn't have time to get himself fit again.
This was a curious Johnny Cougar story, with Johnny taking no part in the wrestling action. The only action that he did take part in was smashing through the screen that the Masked Maniac had erected, and although this is an important plot point, the action was a single panel.
With this, it fell to the other characters to carry the story. While Johnny provided exposition we had our first look at The Pirate and The Chinaman (probably not a name that would fly today). The Pirate carries a flamboyant look, but he doesn't amount to much in the ring. The Chinaman has an air of menace about him, which only emphasised how good The Masked Maniac is as we saw him handily beat him. From what we have seen here it is hard to get excited about either new character's future prospects.
The Masked Maniac dominated the story physically but also drove the story forward with his taunting of Johnny and contributions to the overall story arc. Johnny may be wrestling the other characters, but The Masked Maniac remains the overarching villain of the piece. While the story wasn't the most thrilling this week, this wider storyline holds great promise and is the main reason why I rate this one well. Several important pieces fell into place today, and seeing it all come together in the coming weeks should be a treat.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "Heap lucky smash hit Cougar last time...you not be so lucky again!"
Martin's Marvellous Mini
Tiny and Martin have dug their car out of the avalanche and are now speeding towards Moscow. In a helicopter overhead, Mr Twastle does all he can to prevent them from winning, swooping low and trying to push them off the road.
He fails in his attempts and flies back to Moscow where he learns that Martin and Tiny aren't winning, although they are second and making good speed toward Moscow.
Mr Twastle takes a taxi to the outskirts of Moscow and intercepts Tiny and Martin. Climbing in the car, he tells them the road is blocked and offers to show them a way around the detour.
After sending them down several sideroads, they emerge back on the main road, just behind the two lead cars. As they speed after them, Tiny notices the black mask in Mr Twastle's pocket and realises that the helicopter pilot was wearing exactly the same mask.
We are reaping the rewards of last week's issue, and it was all thrown into the mix for this issue. We had fast car racing action, helicopters buzzing overhead, and Tiny unmasking the wider plot.
Each one of these aspects of the story looked great on the page, and the story was well-paced to give each aspect its due. A two-page, fast-moving story, yet it gave time for each story point to breathe and the overall feeling was although it was fast, nothing was glossed over.
It wasn't just the action that told the story. The faces of the characters were liberally sprinkled throughout, and each flash of a grim-faced Martin, or a shocked Mister Twastle added another layer to the story. It gave the story a realistic feel, even when they were doing unrealistic things, and every panel containing a close-up of a face elevated the story and gave it an extra sheen. The artwork of David Sque cannot be underestimated, and given that he is pulling double duty in this week's comic, it is all the more impressive. Everything that comes across his drawing board is imbued with a sense of humanity, and when paired with a thrilling story like this, we get something very special indeed.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "We're losing time! We're never going to win like this! Are you sure this is the right way, Mister Twastle?"
Roy Of The Rovers
Roy is back in the team after his recent troubles with exhaustion, and the Rovers are on form playing against the reserves - winning their match seven - two.
However, Roy receives a shock when after the game Jumbo Trudgeon tells him that he'll be leaving the team. Roy realises that there is no one in the reserves who can step up to the first team. As luck would have it, Alf Roper, a former Melchester Scout, is paying a visit and tells Roy that he has seen a promising youngster named Gerry Holloway.
Roy and Alf speed off to see the player, who just so happens to have a game that night. Arriving at the game, Roy is stunned when he sees Gerry Holloway hardly moving on the field and has only touched the ball twice. He isn't exerting himself at all, and Roy is left wondering why Alf Roper has brought him all this way to see the laziest player he's ever seen.
Following on from Martin's Marvellous Mini, we have another masterclass from David Sque for this week's Roy Of The Rovers. However, the plot cannot match the previous strip for intensity, and for all of David's fine work here, we have a less compelling strip.
However, the strip is notable for the introduction of Gerry Holloway (my computer keeps trying to change this to Geri Halliwell. Imagine her playing for Melchester Rovers...). Roy is unimpressed with what he has seen so far, but I am quietly confident that he will come around to see Holloway as the player he needs. The sight of Roy and Alf in the car about to drive to the match warmed the cockles of my heart, and even though I wasn't thrilled with the following story, it did provide a comforting moment that spoke to the history of the comic and characters from the past.
Roy Of The Rovers is in a transition period right now, and it needs a strong, tightly focused storyline to snap it back in line. Gerry Holloway signing for the team is a necessary stepping stone to move on Jumbo Trudgeon (whose farewell, it should be noted, was light and hardly worthy of a player of such significance). The sooner Gerry Holloway can be brought on board, the better, and then Roy and the team can move on to bigger things, and hopefully, an engaging storyline that will keep me eager to read more.
Rating: 6/10
Best line: "Because Alf Roper is the man who discovered Roy Race...over twenty-one years ago!"
Skid Solo
Tommy and Sandy are in Australia, getting race experience for Tommy while Skid is laid up in hospital.
Tommy is offered a car, and Skid tells Sandy to enter Tommy in a Formula Junior race being run the following day.
Sandy offers Tommy strict instructions on race day, telling him he must come in on lap thirty-five to refuel. There is no need to worry about this, other drivers will be refuelling too and he should be OK.
Skid calls from his hospital bed again, asking Sandy how the race is going. Sandy tells him the race has just started and Tommy is doing well. This is correct, and Tommy is in first place when he comes in on lap thirty-five for his refuel.
Skid calls again soon after this, and Sandy confirms that Tommy has just refuelled and is just behind the race leaders. When Skid asks who the race race leaders are, his demeanour changes and he tells Sandy to get a message to Tommy to drive as hard as he can. The race leader is Les Robinson, and Skid thinks he probably has put a larger tank in his car so he doesn't have to refuel.
Skid is right, and Sandy gets the message out to Tommy. Tommy pushes hard for the remaining laps and is rewarded as he finds a way around Robinson on the final corner. In the hospital, Skid is still on the phone and happy to hear about the victory. A nurse next to him asks if it was almost like being behind the wheel himself, and Skid assures her that it was nothing like it, but he sure wishes it was.
Even when Skid isn't trackside, he still finds a way to inject himself into the story, This was cleverly done via the use of the telephone. It was a timely reminder of how far technology has come, as nowadays not only could Skid be in constant contact throughout every aspect of the race, but he would also probably be privy to every sensor and readout in the car, even at such a distance.
I am warming up to the character of Tommy, but it is Sandy who remains my firm favourite. Every emotion is reflected on his face, and he is a character you can read easily through his facial expressions alone. His smile while on the phone to Skid spoke of their friendship, while later when he was issuing instructions to Tommy he was all business and serious to the core. He often gets the best lines, but in this case, he also gets the best artwork.
Sandy got the best of it, but the artwork throughout this strip was of the highest level. Not just Skid Solo, but this entire issue is full of superb art, and it pleasing to the eye through every page. In Skid Solo we have several fine images of Tommy in his car, the car radiating power, while Tommy was made all the smaller and younger for it. Sandy organizing the race, and remaining in touch with Skid provided more fodder for the artist as he was characterised as a hardworking, dependable chap. Finally, we have Skid, still in his bed back in Britain, He remained upbeat, with the art reflecting his positivity, and joy at seeing Tommy doing well.
All of this made the story better than it really was and was a testament to the power of art. A solid story greatly elevated by the craftsmanship put into it, and this was much better than it deserved to be.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "Mister McGrath...telephone call for you...from Britain!"
Hot Shot Hamish
Princes Park wins their game easily, and coming off the pitch they are instructed to assemble for the team photo. Following on from last week, McFrame, the photographer, is having trouble with McMutton, Hamish's pet sheep.
McMutton has chewed McFrame's cape, and as he prepares to photograph the team, McFrame waves away McMutton. McMutton responds by ramming McFrame with his horns and McFrame ends up in a crumpled heap with his camera equipment.
Back at the mansion where Hamish is staying with a wealthy fan, Hamish prepares for a party thrown by Mister McCash. He decides to wear a pullover his Granny has knitted, and suitably attired makes his way to the ballroom. The shocked guests, all in evening wear, stare at him, some thinking he is a servant who has lost his way, while others say he looks like a refugee from a jumble sale.
Both halves of the story provided laughs but it was the second part of the story that really spoke to me. Hamish as a fish out of water offers plenty of potential for laughs, but also makes Hamish a sympathetic character. I laughed at the sight of him wearing a sweater knitted by his Granny (and reflected on the knitted garments that my own Grandmother gave me) but I also felt his humiliation as he made his entrance. My heart swelled as he strode down the stairs, proud of his attire, only to be completely deflated as the first guests commented on his outfit.
These contrasting feelings, rubbing up hard against each other, gave the story an uneasy tension and is one of the reasons it is always a favourite. Hamish is the most relatable character in the comic to me (and it is not just a shared first name), and I laugh just as much with him as at him. Similarly, his disasters are my disasters, and I cringe at some of the situations he finds himself in.
Football is almost secondary to the wider world of Hamish Balfour, and although we see Princes Park week after week, the story is much more than a story of a player who plays for Princes Park. It is Hamish's hot shot that has the title, but he is much more than a man with a hot shot, he is a character blessed with all the traits, the triumphs and tragedies, of a real human, and as such is the most real character on the pages of Tiger. Not everyone is the smartest or most successful, most of us are just average Joes making our way through life the best we can, just like Hamish Balfour.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "I wonder what there'll be to eat? Meat pies, maybe...or trifles...or great big steaks..."
Nipper
Nipper has lost his memory, including how to play football, yet has still managed to score a goal as Blackport play a league game.
Nipper thinks he has scored from a throw-in, and it is Mike Beatson who explains to him that it is not allowed under the rules of the game. Luckily halftime is blown shortly after and Nipper is subbed off.
He is examined by the club doctors, who can find nothing wrong with him despite the memory loss. As they come out of the tunnel, Nipper's girlfriend Kerry calls to him. Nipper doesn't recognise her, and it's Andy Stewart who explains that she is his girlfriend.
Nipper says if that is the case, he can't wait to start remembering again. As Nipper looks dreamily at Kerry, Andy Stewart looks on, worried that if Nipper's memory returns in the middle of the second-round European Cup game, it could lead to the biggest punch-up of the season.
You already know what I'm going to say. Kerry is here, and not only does she steal Nipper's heart, but she also steals mine. Oh, comic book romances. The football provided solid action, but it was the appearance of Kerry and the further development in the storyline that got my heart racing.
Last week we saw how the memory loss affected Nipper on the field, this week that scope widened and we saw further fishhooks thrown into the story. I took the bait on all of them. Nipper sees Kerry as if for the first time, and instantly being smitten, makes a touching moment that speaks volumes of his love for her. Even a jaded idiot such as me couldn't help but smile at what was unfolding on the page and it is a plotline that should be exploited in the coming weeks.
Andy Stewart's final line pointing towards the next game also pulled me in. It is obvious that these stories need to hook you back for next week, yet it's all done so well that I can't help but get caught up in it every time. I am dying to know what Nippper's trouble with the Italian club is, and I am equally intrigued to see if a punchup will develop. I don't condone violence, but in this case, I am looking forward to seeing some haymakers being thrown.
The artwork was a step up this week. The page was much cleaner, with less background noise and some very clean lines. This added efficiency to the story, giving me the bare facts and allowing me to quickly reach the key moments. I like to linger on my comics, and although this story shot me quickly to the finish line, I did make the time to go back and have a second look at the artwork. I found myself gazing upon it, much like Nipper looking at Kerry in the final panel, full of both love and admiration, for the quality of work put into this comic week after week.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Er, who's the doll, Mister Stewart?"
Tornado Jones
Tornado Jones has bungled his latest stunt, accidentally freeing a Tiger who is now slinking toward a nearby village.
Acting quickly, Jones gets his spare motorcycle, and a coil of rope and sets forth to bring the Tiger back alive.
The tiger is creating mayhem in the village and it isn't long before Jones on on his bike giving chase. He lassos the tiger easily enough, but the Tiger is strong and pulls Jones from his bike.
Dragging Jones from the village, the tiger jumps over the edge of the bank, sending Jones tumbling.
Last week the tiger looked limp and uninspired. This week he is reinvigorated and energised, looking much more like a real tiger. The change is noticeable, and it seems Jim Bleach has found a way to present a tiger worthy of its fearsome reputation.
This supercharged the whole story, and I came away from this week's issue far more enthusiastic than last week. The story moved quickly, and showing plenty of the tiger in the village certainly added to the drama. We had a number of panels showing the chaos the tiger was causing. The scenes in the butcher shop were my favourite, but there were several more vying for my attention, and in particular, the sight of the villagers all running about in the main street was noteworthy.
Tornado Jones tumbling over the bank wasn't the most spectacular of cliffhangers (or bank tumblers if you will) but the rest of the story well and truly propelled us into next week. With great art and a unique storyline, this remains a solid read and ends us on a good note as we look ahead to next week.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "You'd better phone the police, boss! The only thing to do now is shoot the poor brute"
Issue final ratings:
Overall: 7/10
Best Story: Nipper
Best Line: "If Kerry's a sample of my past life, I can't wait to start remembering it again!"
Best Panel:
.png)
Roy's Sports Quiz:
No comments:
Post a Comment